Angel
by Lady Pyrefly
Summary: The story of what exactly happened between Rinoa and her father and why she can't forgive him.
1. Warm Days

Angel

by Lady Pyrefly

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Chapter One-Warm Days

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"It's so hot!" Rinoa whined. She and the rest of her friends were all in the library because, ever since Garden's air conditioning broke, it had become the coolest place in the entire school.

"We know it's hot, Rin. Complaining won't make it any cooler," Squall snapped.

"Hey! Don't talk to her like that!" Seifer commanded. He had been a little protective of Rinoa ever since returning to Balamb a few weeks ago.

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"I'll tell you anything I want!"

At that moment, Edea walked up and asked quietly, "Is there a problem here boys?"

Quickly, Squall and Seifer backed off, and Irvine covered, saying, "No, it's just the heat makes everyone a little short tempered."

"I understand. It's a little crowded in here." That was an understatement. Half the Garden was either stuffed into the library, or packed into the hallway outside hoping for even the smallest draft of cool air. "Maybe you should go down to the beach," Edea continued, "It would probably be cooler than here."

"Why didn't we think of that?" Selphie wondered, before they all left.

Down at the beach, things weren't much better. As it turned out, the other half of the Garden that wasn't inside, was at the ocean, trying unsuccessfully to cool off.

Finally, after much searching, they found a spot all to themselves at the end of the coast. The sun beat down hard on Rinoa and her friends. Rinoa struggled to find a place to sit that would give her at least partial coverage from the sunlight.

Eventually, however, she gave up. "If I can't stay away from the heat, I might as well work on my tan."

So Rinoa took of her blue overshirt, and everyone couldn't help but stare. Underneath the blue shirt, Rinoa wore a black halter, and on her back were jagged scars from an injury long ago.

"Rinoa! What happened to your back?" Squall asked.

Rinoa half-smiled and said, "They don't call me Angel for nothing."

"What do you mean?" Zell asked, oblivious as usual.

Quistis answered, "In common mythology, when an angel reveals its wings, they rip the skin and leave scars on the angel's back. But I don't think that's what happened to Rinoa. Zell! Are you listening to me?"

Zell, who actually wasn't listening, didn't respond. He was too busy punching the air. Rinoa did, "No, I got these scars when my mom died." There was a certain finality in her tone, so the others didn't question further.

The Angel sat back on the warm sand, and she remembered...


	2. Thunder Days

Chapter Two-Thunder Days

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As a child, Rinoa Caraway had everything a little girl could want. She had nice, new toys to play with, gourmet food to eat, a beautiful home to live in, and two parents that loved her very much. So why was Rinoa sobbing now on the floor of her playroom? Thunder crashed again, and Rinoa's wails increased in volume until Julia came rushing into the room to comfort her only child.

"Shhh, darling, shhh. What's wrong?"

"The thunder is scary," a tearful Rinoa answered.

"Oh, honey, the thunder isn't scary, it makes lightning and lightning is beautiful!" Julia corrected her daughter.

Julia took her daughter's hand and led her over to the huge castle-like window at the end of the hallway. There, she pointed out all the pretty designs that the lightning made. Little Rinoa stared in awe until her mother notice what time it was.

"Oh dear! Rinoa, it's way past your bedtime!" So Julia once again led her daughter down the hallway and tucked her into bed.

General Jake Caraway arrived home at three o'clock in the morning. Everything was dark. Oh so quietly, he shut the door behind him, thinking no one was awake.

"Where have you been?" Julia demanded from the shadows.

Jake was a military man; he had been specially trained to lie without showing any of the signs. "Out," he said calmly.

"Oh. You were 'out,'" Julia said sarcastically, "Why didn't I guess?"

Jake's temper flared. he stepped forward and slapped her. "Don't talk to me like that ever again," he ordered.

All Julia could do was nod; a bruise slowly formed on her pale cheek.

"Good. Now I am going to bed." Rinoa's father removed a manila folder from inside his coat and shut it loudly into the safe in his closet.

Time and time again he had reminded both Rinoa and Julia never to go near it. Once, Rinoa had asked him what was in it.

"Nothing you need to know," General Caraway had snapped angrily. Rinoa never dared to ask again.

Thunder crashed again, and Julia went to check on Rinoa. As she walked down the hallway, tears flowed from her eyes and left a trail on the carpet.

Little Rinoa heard her mother coming and quickly jumped into bed and pretended to be asleep, wondering why her father would hit her mother.


	3. Cloudy Days

Chapter Three-Cloudy Days

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"I'm going on a business trip," Rinoa's father told them over breakfast.

"When, daddy?" Rinoa asked as she picked at her scrambled eggs.

"Today. I got a phone call last night. Don't worry, I've already packed."

"How long will you be gone?" Julia asked meekly. A purple bruise still manifested itself on her face.

"A few days, a week at most," Jake said, "I'm going to miss my train if I don't leave now."

The small dysfunctional family said their goodbyes. Jake left quickly out the door.

Ominous clouds were seen in the window and foretold of rain. It was a week since Jake Caraway had left, yet he still hadn't returned.

Julia had been playing the piano (something that was forbidden to her while her husband was in the house) when she heard the doorbell ring.

She opened the door, and there stood two police officers.

"C-can I help you?" she stuttered.

"We hope so," an officer said, as they flashed their badges. "We're with the Deling City police. Your husband has been accused of planning to assassinate the president. Can we ask you a few questions?"

Numbly, Julia allowed them to come into her home. "Rinoa, dear, why don't you go watch some TV?"

"Do I have to?" Rinoa asked.

"Yes, dear. Mommy has to talk to the policemen now. Go on." Rinoa skipped out of the room, but stayed near the doorway to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Mrs. Caraway, have you seen your husband doing anything suspicious lately?" the officer asked.

"I don't know what you mean," Julia replied, a little confused.

"Has he been doing anything out of the ordinary lately, like arriving home later than usual, or anything like that?"

"Umâno, not that I can remember." Why was she lying to the police? She had no love for Jake, was it because she wanted Rinoa to still have a father, or was she just afraid of him?

The questions kept coming, one after another, and Julia tried to answer them honestly, without incriminating her husband.

Finally the officers were done. On their way out the door, one said, "Just one more question, Mrs. Caraway. Where did you get that bruise on your cheek?"

Startled, Julia responded shakily, "I-I fell."

The officer scribbled something on his notepad, then they thanked her and left.

A few hours later, Julia recalled the manila envelop Jake had locked in his safe. Was that what the police were looking for? She wasn't sure, but she was going to find out.

Julia headed up the stairs towards their bedroom. She didn't notice, but Rinoa was following her like a lost puppy.

She threw open the closet door and knelt down in front of the safe. There was a keypad on it instead of a lock. As quickly as she could, Julia punched in all the possible codes: his PIN number, his birthday, his birthyear, anything she could think of. All of a sudden, she had a flash of inspiration. She quickly typed in Rinoa's birthday, and the safe door opened.

"That bastard!" Julia muttered under her breath. Inside was a great deal of cash, and the manila envelope. Julia tore it open, and inside were plans for the death of the president. It showed everything. How a few of them would trap the president's float inside the gate, then a sniper would rise out of the clock when it stuck nine and shoot him.

Spinning around, Julia saw Rinoa standing there in the doorframe, eyes wide with curiosity.

"Mommy, what's going on?" she asked.

"We're going Rinoa. Come on, get in the car, and I'll be down there in a minute." Like the good girl she was, Rinoa did as her mother said.

Julia gathered up the papers and stuffed them into the envelop, then shut the safe, and scribbled a note to Jake if he arrived home while they were gone. She dashed after Rinoa and started the car.


	4. Rainy Days

Chapter Four-Rainy Days

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When Jake Caraway arrived home, he saw the note Julia had left for him saying they were going grocery shopping. Not that he believed them. He was naturally suspicious, even of his wife, so he opened the pantry door. There were enough groceries to last for at least a week.

A tiny sliver of doubt appeared in Jake's mind. He raced up the stairs and opened his safe. He was hardly surprised when he saw the manila envelope was missing.

General Caraway quickly grabbed the phone and dialed a few digits. A man's voice answered, "Hello?"

"It's me. Julia found the envelope." Jake said, "I think she's going to the police."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it. Stay where you are. I'll have someone call you when the job is done," the voice said menacingly.

Jake hung up the phone and sat down to wait.

"Mommy, where are we going?" Rinoa asked as rain pounded down on their car.

"I have to talk to some people about your father, dear," her mother answered. She steered the car towards the police station, and she pressed down on the gas. She didn't care that she was speeding. All that mattered was getting to the police.

Suddenly, the black car in front of them stopped. Julia's vehicle rammed into it. Rinoa turned around in her seat as the windshield broke to protect her face.

Shards of glass ripped into Rinoa's back and she screamed. Right before she passed out, Rinoa thought she heard the man in the black car say into his cell phone, "Yes, General Caraway, it's all taken care of." Then her vision swam and everything went black.


	5. Haunted Days

Chapter Five-Haunted Days

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When Rinoa awoke, she couldn't move. Her eyes scanned the room she was in carefully in the hopes to see someone to help her. She was in a hospital room, and doctors were all around her, un-bandaging her back and changing her IV fluid. She nearly screamed in pain when the doctor's scalpel cut into the torn skin on her back.

"What's going on?" a voice asked.

"General Caraway, we're glad you're here," said a doctor. Daddy's here, Rinoa thought, He'll help me. The doctor went on, "I'm Dr. Henderson. Right now, however, we must ask you to leave the room."

"Yes, of course," Jake said, and left.

"Doctor,' said a nurse, "She's lost a massive amount of blood. She may be going into shock. Do you think now is the right time to remove the glass?"

"If we don't do it now, glass particles can go in further into her skin and might become permanent," Dr. Henderson answered.

When the doctor again cut out a part of glass, she twitched.

"Doctor, the patient is going into shock," the nurse said tersely.

Even as she said the words, Rinoa felt a pulling sensation around her middle, and the next thing she knew he was outside her body, looking down at the operation. Then, she saw a bright light in the distance, and heard someone calling to her. Rinoa headed towards the light and the voice. Finally, she arrived there. Everything was so beautiful. She saw her mother there, and her grandparents. They all hugged her. Julia whispered to her daughter, "Be good for your father," and then again, everything went dark.

Then she heard the doctor's voice saying, "Thank Hyne we got her back. She's been legally dead for three minutes. We don't need her father filing a lawsuit."

Another sharp pain cut through her and she blacked out.


	6. Windy Days

Chapter Six-Windy Days

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Ten years had passed since the car crash that had ended Julia's life. Rinoa had grown up, and today was her sixteenth birthday.

Rinoa was dressed in a brand new cream-colored dress and dancing with a young man she didn't even know the name of. The guy was the son of one of her father's friends. He was going on and on about his conquests at military school, and she wasn't paying attention.

No, you see, the birthday girl was scanning the crowd for her father.

Oh, Rinoa thought, He promised he would be here by seven. But it was already five 'til eight and General Caraway wasn't there.

"Miss Rinoa, what do you think?" the young man asked.

"E-excuse me?" Rinoa asked, jerking back to her dance partner's talking.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to go with me to the movies next weekend," he repeated.

"No, thank you, Josh."

"My name is John."

"Whatever," Rinoa sighed, and left the dance floor.

"How could you do this? You promised!" Rinoa yelled at her father. It was an hour after her birthday party had ended, and Jake was just arriving home.

"Rinoa, I'm sorry, but something just came up. I couldn't make it in time. I apologize."

"That's all you ever do but it never changes anything!"

"Rinoa! Don't yell at me. I am your father. Go to your room!" Jake commanded.

"Fine!" Rinoa stormed up the hallway and slammed the door to her room. Outside her window, she heard the wind howling out her anger. She heard the familiar click as her father locked her in. The brunette made a rude gesture at the closed door.

It was about four in the morning when Rinoa awoke to the phone ringing. She had forgotten to put the telephone back in it's holder in the kitchen from when her friends had called earlier that morning.

After a few rings, it stopped. Her father had picked up the phone in another room.

Fine, Rinoa thought, If he can't pay enough attention to me, I might as well know what's going on around here.

She picked up the extension and covered the mouthpiece with her hand.

"Caraway, you better pay up!" she heard a voice threaten. Was this blackmail?

"Or what?" Rinoa's father sneered.

"Or I'll go to the police and tell them the truth about what happened to your wife." Rinoa gasped. the voice went on. "Oh yes. I'll tell them how you wanted her dead, how you hired me to crash her car, how you didn't care that your daughter was there with her. Are the scars on her back worth having your wife taken out? Just pay the money and nothing will happen."

"Go ahead, tell the police. It doesn't take much money to keep their mouths quiet." Jake hung up the phone.

Numbly, Rinoa clicked off her phone and crawled into bed. She didn't sleep a wink that night.


	7. Snow Days

Chapter Seven-Snow Days

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Rinoa had carefully avoided her father for the past three days. It was easy enough since he was hardly ever around. Rinoa thought she had gotten off scot-free.

And then, one day when she came home from school, Rinoa was surprised to see Jake at home waiting for her. He was pale from lack of sleep, but his face was determined.

Not one to beat around the bush, Jake said straight off, "Rinoa, you've been avoiding me. What's this about?'

"Avoiding you? I haven't been avoiding you. I've just been busy."

"Of course. Sit down."

"Dad, I have a lot of homework," Rinoa started.

"Sit!" her father repeated more firmly. Rinoa sat. "Good. Now what is the matter?"

It just boiled Rinoa's anger that he felt he could control her that way. Before she could stop herself, the words just popped out of her mouth, "YOU KILLED HER!"

Whatever color remained in Jake's face left it. "What are you talking about?"

"YOU KILLED MY MOM!"

"I-It's not something I planned to do-"Jake began.

"YES YOU DID! I HEARD YOUR TALK ON THE PHONE! YOU HIRED SOMEONE! YOU DIDN'T EVEN CARE THAT I WAS THERE TOO!" Rinoa was sobbing uncontrollably now.

Jake's eyes narrowed in anger as he made his final attempt to calm her, "Rinoa, you must understand, I had no choice. I loved your mother. And I love you. I don't want to hurt you."

"YES YOU DO! I KNOW YOU DO! I'M GOING STRAIGHT TO THE COPS! I'LL TELL THEM EVERYTHING! THEN THEY'LL PUT YOU AWAY FOREVER LIKE YOU DESERVE!"

"Rinoa, it's snowing too hard outside. You cannot leave."

"Yes I can, yes I can, yes I can!" Rinoa cried hysterically.

Grabbing a tin coffee pot from off the table, Jake told Rinoa, "I'm sorry," then hit her over the head.

Jake dragged Rinoa into her room and locked her in. Snow was falling softly outside.


	8. Sunny Days

Chapter Eight-Sunny Days

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Again Rinoa awoke, and felt the lump on her head. For a moment she couldn't remember what had happened, but then it all came flooding back: the argument, her father hitting her, everything.

Woozily, she dragged herself to look at her clock. Three forty in the afternoon. Her father was at work. Just to make sure, Rinoa peeked out her window. No car was in their driveway.

Rinoa decided then and there that she had to leave. Now. She couldn't tell the cops what she knew, because then for sure Caraway would find her. Maybe if she kept her mouth shut, she could get away.

Grabbing a sheet of stationary off her desk, Rinoa wrote a not to her father:

Mr. Caraway:

You probably noticed that I did not refer to you as 'father.' You see, Mr. Caraway, I do not consider you my father anymore. I'm leaving right now. I won't tell anyone what you did, but if you ever try to harm me or find me, I will. That is not a threat; that is a promise.

Rinoa

Rinoa signed her name, then decided it was incomplete. She needed a new last name if she was to completely sever all connections to this man. _What to put, what to put?_ she wondered. The name flew to her from the air. "Heartilly." Julia had always told her that if anything was to be done in life, it must be done heartily. It would make a good last name. She signed it, hoping the irony would not be lost on him.

Rinoa grabbed her backpack and threw in a few clothes, and enough gil for a train fare. Then she took her chair and smashed the window. Faint sunlight managed to filter through the tall bushes around her home.

She leapt out onto the concrete below, and took off running towards the train station. Everything would be just fine. She was going to go...where?

"So, sweetcheeks, where will you be going?" the clerk at the train station asked.

Rinoa gritted her teeth at the name he called her and said, "That depends. Where is the furthest place I can go for four thousand gil?"

"Well, sweetcheeks, that'd be Timber, but you don't want to go there. There's a rebellion growing there against Galbadia. Too dangerous for someone like you."

"It's perfect. One ticket please," Rinoa said. The warm sunshine warmed her as she stepped onto the train, and rode off towards what looked like a much better place for her.


	9. Warm Days Again

Chapter Nine-Warm Days Again

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"Rinoa," Squall called from the overhang above the beach, "They say the air conditioning's on at Garden. Ready to go back?"

"Of course!" Rinoa called up to him. She pulled her sweater back over her scars and ran up to where Squall waited for her. She slipped her hand in his, and noted (as she always did) his surprise that she could be so open about her feelings.

Memories of her time in Deling with her father still lingered, but Rinoa pushed them from her mind. She was an angel, and with her wings she could, and would, rise above.


End file.
